Report a theft in Wisconsin to the local police department or sheriff first and keep the case number. Under Wis. Stat. § 943.20(3), theft becomes a felony at $2,500. Then follow the checklist for what was taken, below.
Wisconsin at a glance
| Felony theft threshold | $2,500. Theft of property worth more than $2,500 is a Class I felony in Wisconsin; theft of $2,500 or less is a Class A misdemeanor. |
|---|---|
| Theft statute | Wis. Stat. § 943.20(3) |
| Grading | $2,500 or less: Class A misdemeanor. Over $2,500 to $5,000: Class I felony. Over $5,000 to $10,000: Class H felony. Over $10,000 to $100,000: Class G felony. Over $100,000: Class F felony. Theft of a firearm or a domestic animal, from a disaster-damaged building, or from an at-risk individual is a Class H felony regardless of value; theft from another person or from a corpse is a Class G felony. |
| Vehicle theft | Wisconsin charges vehicle theft under its own statute, Wis. Stat. § 943.23: taking and driving a vehicle without consent is a Class H felony (Class F for a repeat offense), and driving one without consent is a Class I felony; carjacking by force is a Class E or Class C felony. |
| State police | Wisconsin State Patrol (Wisconsin Department of Transportation) |
| Motor vehicles | Wisconsin DMV (Wisconsin Department of Transportation) |
| Consumer protection | Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) |
| Online police reports | The Milwaukee Police Department accepts online reports for thefts under $2,500 in the city with no viable suspect information, but not vehicle theft, burglary, identity theft or anything involving a firearm, according to its 2022 launch announcement. Other departments set their own rules. |
| Lost or stolen gun reporting | Wisconsin has no law requiring owners to report a lost or stolen firearm, according to the Giffords Law Center, an advocacy group. |
| Pawn and secondhand dealers | Wis. Stat. § 134.71(8) requires pawnbrokers to hold items at least 30 days and secondhand article and jewelry dealers at least 21 days, or 7 days after an electronic report where one is required, with records open to police within 24 hours. |
| Official stolen property lookups | No public state-run lookup was found for Wisconsin. Use the national tools in the lookup directory. |
Statute text checked on law.justia.com. Laws change; confirm the current version before relying on it.
Wisconsin by the numbers
| Measure | Wisconsin | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Identity theft reports to the FTC, 2024 | 8,798 reports, 149 per 100,000 residents; ranked 36 of 50 | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Fraud and other reports to the FTC, 2024 | 53,520 reports, 908 per 100,000 residents | FTC Consumer Sentinel Data Book 2024 |
| Firearms reported stolen from private citizens | 1,226 a year on average, 20.8 per 100,000 residents (2019 to 2023) | ATF National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment |
These figures count reports made to federal agencies, so they measure what was reported, not every theft. National context is on the theft statistics page.
Reporting a theft in Wisconsin
Wisconsin's State Patrol is a division of the Department of Transportation focused on highways, so nearly all theft reports go to a city or village police department or the county sheriff. Call the agency where the theft happened.
Milwaukee residents can file some reports online. According to the department's 2022 announcement, its system accepts thefts and property damage under $2,500 and lost property inside the city, from adults with an email address, when there is no viable suspect information. It excludes motor vehicle theft, burglary, identity theft and any offense involving a firearm. Check the department's current criteria before filing, and keep the case number. Our stolen property guide lists what to gather.
Wisconsin theft law and the felony threshold
Wisconsin grades theft by value under Wis. Stat. § 943.20(3), with five tiers:
- $2,500 or less: Class A misdemeanor.
- Over $2,500 to $5,000: Class I felony.
- Over $5,000 to $10,000: Class H felony.
- Over $10,000 to $100,000: Class G felony.
- Over $100,000: Class F felony.
The felony threshold is therefore $2,500. Several kinds of theft are felonies regardless of value. Stealing a firearm or a domestic animal, stealing from a building left damaged or unoccupied after a disaster, or stealing from a patient or an individual at risk is a Class H felony. Taking property from another person's body, or from a corpse, is a Class G felony. See our stolen firearm guide for what to do when a gun is taken.
Stolen vehicles and license plates in Wisconsin
Vehicle theft has its own statute, Wis. Stat. § 943.23, so it is not graded by the car's value.
- Taking and driving a vehicle without consent: Class H felony, or Class F for a second or later offense.
- Driving or operating a vehicle without consent, without taking it: Class I felony.
- Taking by force (carjacking): Class E felony, or Class C if armed with a dangerous weapon.
- Removing a major part, such as the engine, a door or any part worth more than $500: Class I felony.
Report a stolen vehicle by phone or in person; Milwaukee's online system does not take them. When plates are lost or stolen, Wisconsin DMV states that they must be replaced and that you will receive a new plate number, registration certificate and stickers, with fees that vary by plate type. Wisconsin has no public stolen vehicle search; use the tools in our check if stolen guide and the stolen vehicles checklist.
Pawn shops and secondhand sales
Wisconsin sets statewide holding periods in Wis. Stat. § 134.71(8). Pawnbrokers must hold an item for at least 30 days; secondhand article dealers and secondhand jewelry dealers for at least 21 days. Where a dealer must report electronically, the minimum hold is 7 days after the report is submitted. U.S. coins, gold and silver coins or bullion, and consigned items are exempt. Dealers must make their transaction records available to police within 24 hours of buying an item. Those holds give officers a window to find property, so report quickly and include serial numbers.
Identity theft and fraud help in Wisconsin
Wisconsin handles consumer and identity theft complaints through the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) rather than the Attorney General's office. Victims can file an identity theft complaint online or by mail for fraudulent accounts, tax-related identity theft or fraudulent loans; DATCP states that an investigator reviews each complaint and makes contact within one week, and it may refer cases to law enforcement. File at IdentityTheft.gov as well, and because Milwaukee does not take identity theft reports online, file with police in person or by phone. Our identity theft guide covers each step.
Checklists for what was stolen
Each guide opens with a checklist in the order to act, with a free printable PDF.
- Domain names
- Identity theft
- Vehicles
- Social media and email
- SIM swap and phone numbers
- Stolen phones
- Bicycles and e-bikes
- Packages and mail
- Wallets, cards and checks
- Passports
- Firearms
- Art and collectibles
- Cryptocurrency
This page is general information about Wisconsin, not legal advice. For your situation, consult an attorney licensed in Wisconsin.
Sources
- Wis. Stat. § 943.20, Theft (Justia, 2025)
- Wis. Stat. § 943.23, Operating vehicle without owner's consent (Justia, 2021)
- Wis. Stat. § 134.71, Pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers (Justia)
- Milwaukee Police Department online reporting announcement (Urban Milwaukee press release, 2022)
- Wisconsin DMV, Replace your title, plates or stickers
- Wisconsin State Patrol
- Wisconsin DATCP, Identity Theft
- Giffords Law Center, Reporting Lost & Stolen Guns in Wisconsin